(a) General requirements. Students may fulfill fine arts and elective requirements for graduation by successfully completing one or more of the following theatre courses: Theatre Arts II, Theatre and Media Communications II (one credit per course), and Theatre Production II (one-half to one credit). The prerequisite for each Theatre, Level II course is one credit of Theatre, Level I in the corresponding discipline.
(b) Introduction.
  (1) The fine arts incorporate the study of dance, music, theatre, and the visual arts to offer unique experiences and empower students to explore realities, relationships, and ideas. These disciplines engage and motivate all students through active learning, critical thinking, and innovative problem solving. The fine arts develop cognitive functioning and increase student academic achievement, higher-order thinking, communication, and collaboration skills, making the fine arts applicable to college readiness, career opportunities, workplace environments, social skills, and everyday life. Students develop aesthetic and cultural awareness through exploration, leading to creative expression. Creativity, encouraged through the study of the fine arts, is essential to nurture and develop the whole child.
  (2) Four basic strands--foundations: inquiry and understanding; creative expression; historical and cultural relevance; and critical evaluation and response--provide broad, unifying structures for organizing knowledge and skills students are expected to acquire. Through the foundations: inquiry and understanding strand, students develop a perception of self, human relationships, and the world using elements of drama and conventions of theatre. Through the creative expression strand, students communicate in a dramatic form, engage in artistic thinking, build positive self-concepts, relate interpersonally, and integrate knowledge with other content areas in a relevant manner. Through the historical and cultural relevance strand, students increase their understanding of heritage and traditions in theatre and the diversity of world cultures as expressed in theatre. Through the critical evaluation and response strand, students engage in inquiry and dialogue, accept constructive criticism, revise personal views to promote creative and critical thinking, and develop the ability to appreciate and evaluate live theatre.
  (3) Through diverse forms of storytelling and production, students will exercise and develop creativity, intellectual curiosity, critical thinking, problem solving, and collaborative skills. Participation and evaluation in a variety of theatrical experiences will afford students opportunities to develop an understanding of self and their role in the world.
  (4) Statements that contain the word "including" reference content that must be mastered, while those containing the phrase "such as" are intended as possible illustrative examples.
(c) Knowledge and skills.
  (1) Foundations: inquiry and understanding. The student develops concepts about self, human relationships, and the environment using elements of drama and conventions of theatre. The student is expected to:
    (A) develop and practice theatre warm-up techniques;
    (B) develop and practice stage movement techniques consistently to express thoughts, feelings, and actions non-verbally;
    (C) demonstrate effective voice and diction;
    (D) analyze dramatic structure and genre;
    (E) identify examples of theatrical conventions in theatre, film, television, and electronic media;
    (F) relate the interdependence of all theatrical elements; and
    (G) develop and practice memorization skills.
  (2) Creative expression: performance. The student interprets characters using the voice and body expressively and creates dramatizations. The student is expected to:
    (A) model safe, appropriate techniques to allow for physical, vocal, and emotional expression;
    (B) explore creativity as it relates to self and ensemble;
    (C) demonstrate effective voice and diction to express thoughts and feelings;
    (D) apply physical, intellectual, emotional, and social interactions to portray believable characters and convey a story when applying acting concepts, skills, and techniques;
    (E) develop physical techniques consistently to express thoughts, feelings, and actions non-verbally; and
    (F) create, write, devise, and refine original monologues, improvisations, scenes, or vignettes to convey meaning to the audience through live performance or media forms.
  (3) Creative expression: production. The student applies design, directing, and theatre production concepts and skills. The student is expected to:
    (A) develop and practice safe and effective stagecraft skills;
    (B) read and analyze cultural, social, and political aspects of a script to determine technical elements;
    (C) analyze characters, themes, duties, and elements of a script to determine artistic roles and technical assignments;
    (D) perform a role such as actor, director, designer, technician, or editor in production decision making and collaborate with others to tell a story through live theatre or media performance; and
    (E) develop responsibility, artistic discipline, and creative problem solving by concentrating in one or more areas of theatre production such as acting, technical theatre, or theatre management.
  (4) Historical and cultural relevance. The student relates theatre to history, society, and culture. The student is expected to:
    (A) analyze historical and cultural influences on theatre;
    (B) analyze ways in which theatre, television, and film play a role in our daily lives and influence our values and behaviors;
    (C) analyze and evaluate the impact of live theatre, film, television, and electronic media in contemporary society;
    (D) research the influences of world drama and theatre and identify key figures, works, and trends in dramatic literature;
    (E) research the influences of the multicultural heritage of drama and theatre in the United States and identify key figures, works, and trends in dramatic literature; and
    (F) identify and appreciate the innovations and contributions of the United States to the performing arts such as theatre, melodrama, musical theatre, radio, film, television, technology, or electronic media.
  (5) Critical evaluation and response. The student responds to and evaluates theatre and theatrical performances. The student is expected to:
    (A) evaluate and apply appropriate audience etiquette at various types of performances;
    (B) analyze theatre as an art form and evaluate self as a creative being;
    (C) offer and receive constructive criticism of peer performances;
    (D) evaluate the treatment of artistic elements such as theme, character, setting, and action in theatre, musical theatre, dance, art, music, or other media and integrate more than one art form in informal presentations;
    (E) examine career and avocational opportunities such as theatre education, arts administration, performance, design, management, and playwriting in theatre or other media and evaluate the training, skills, self-discipline, and artistic discipline needed to pursue such opportunities;
    (F) use technology such as portfolios, research projects, and journals to document and present information in a clear and coherent manner; and
    (G) connect theatre skills and experiences to higher education and careers outside of the theatre.

Source Note: The provisions of this §117.316 adopted to be effective July 28, 2013, 38 TexReg 4575